Could we?

Have you ever thought about hosting an orphan into your home? Honestly, we thought it was a neat idea but had not SERIOUSLY considered it.  There seemed to be too many hurdles…. like time and money. Somehow life was always busy, and it seemed a bit overwhelming to have a “stranger” in our home for 4-8 weeks 24:7.  Then there were the fees… which for a big family just didn’t seem practical. We already had a heart for disabled orphans—we’d adopted 3 and still wanted to help more. I didn’t think typical kids were as needy….

Then God opened my heart and my eyes a little bit more.  You see, my daughter showed me two siblings who needed a host family. Sometimes busy mamas like me don’t realize that they can still be used in ways they’ve not thought of.  He led me to inquire, to ponder, to pray, to discuss and REALLY consider as a family if we could host these two.  Suddenly it wasn’t a list of possible kids, but it was two kids…a 14-year-old brother and his 10-year-old sister…who had gotten passports, visas, plane tickets and had gotten excited about spending Christmas in America.

Ultimately the question was COULD we host them? Could we open our home, add 2 to our family table, set up 2 more beds, include them in our daily life and Christmas celebration, & give up some luxuries to get them here? The answer was YES!

The second question was SHOULD we? That was the easy one. “Truly I tell you, whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. (Matthew 25:40)”  YES, if we prayed and believed that we could welcome these children into our home, then we believed that we should.

So, we did! And you may know our story (if you don’t, go read my previous posts!) No, it wasn’t always “easy” but totally worth it. Ask any of my kids.  Basically, as we sought to show them the love of a family and the love of Jesus, these two children became FAMILY. Now we are seeking to adopt them, so they can be here with us.

But here’s the thing…. you don’t have to adopt! In our situation, God had been preparing us for this though I didn’t know it. I believe God brought these 2 just for us, as they fit perfectly into our family in many ways.   However, that is not always the case. We know children who have been hosted who can NOT be adopted & other kids who do not WANT to be adopted…. yet the experiences they have here enrich their lives.  Sometimes they meet their future family through others they meet here, and you get the joy of playing a role in that. Sometimes they meet their Savior....a host mom shared with me that 2 boys they’ve hosted put their faith in Christ and were baptized here.  I have also met families who love their host kids from across the world and have a huge impact on their lives.  What a testimony to the love and power of Christ! God has a plan for each of these orphans!

If you feel “too busy” just know that what orphans need the most is to be loved and included, and to experience everyday life as a family—so you just include them in your busy life!   “V” and “V” were integrated into every aspect of our family’s life…. eating meals, prayer time, reading the Bible (and then translating it—Google Translate was our constant companion), playing, chores, going to the store, & learning time.  Simple things like making Daddy’s coffee, building a fire, painting Mommy’s nails, helping a younger sibling, playing a game, and joking with daddy were special.  Receiving and giving gifts at Christmas, celebrating our host girl’s birthday, witnessing our daughter’s baptism, & having new experiences like petting farm animals were unforgettable.  While we did do some fun outings with them, honestly, what I miss the most since they’ve been gone is just hanging out as a family, doing ordinary stuff.  I'd guess that's what they miss most too.

At one time I had been turned off by the “cost” of hosting, but now I know it is so worth it to pay for the needed expenses (passports, visas, train tickets, plane tickets, food, etc.) to get them here. Many families prayerfully fundraise and see God provide.  We saw in our previous adoptions this to be true… “God can make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, always, having everything you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

When we were looking into hosting I discovered that some people are critical of host programs, thinking it cruel to bring them here only to send them back. What I learned was that there are many purposes of hosting. These kids learn a different culture and language, new skills & experiences. They learn what a family is--which can open their hearts to adoption--and most importantly, they learn about and experience the love of Christ Jesus our Lord. Compare that to staying at the orphanage during a “holiday,” with little recreation, little supervision, and devoid of love. If you know anything about orphanages, you know that’s not a good situation. You also never know how hosting will touch others. We have friends who were deeply touched by meeting our host kids. They cried when “V” and “V” went back and are praying about hosting one day. 

Hosting was an experience we will never forget, and it changed us as we just shared our family and home.  We still have a heart for orphans with disabilities, but God showed us more of His heart for orphans. ALL children need families. Period. Typical kids who are orphans have special needs too--they just don’t it show on the outside. They’ve been neglected and hurt in ways we may never know. They long for love and acceptance and to experience live out of 4 walls. They long for connection and most of all for a relationship with a God who will never leave them or forsake them.

The host program we used brings children over each Summer and Winter. Many agencies do this. We are counting down the days until ours come back! And we pray that their friends can come too!  You can learn more about our hosting program at the website below.  Please don’t hesitate to ask us questions about our experience…I had many questions! SO many kids are eager to come over! 

Could your family welcome children into your home and include them in your busy life?

          Could you show them what a family is and share with them the love of Christ?
 
         Or Could you help a family who can by giving or fundraising?

No matter how you help these orphans, you will be blessed, maybe even more than them!

*Please note that hosting agencies do things differently...so definitely ask the policies and even ask to talk to another host family who has used that particular agency.  Also learning about orphans and their typical struggles ahead of time is highly recommended. This post reflects our personal experience

~Traci ❤

Pieces of our Hearts

How does a child come to occupy a part of your heart in such a short amount of time? The only explanation I can come up with is that God did it. He made us and prepares us...not only with the ability to love more than we do already, but in His Sovereignty, He brings souls into our lives.

The question we'd asked ourselves when we first considered hosting our 2 kids was:  "can we show them what a family is?"  That is exactly what they become to each of us.   It wasn't like just having a couple guests in our home. We ate together, did chores together, read the Bible together (then translated it using Google Translate 😏), sang together, prayed together, learned together, played together, went places together.

We did everything with them....so now, everything reminds us of them... which  can trigger both joy and sorrow at a moments notice. The bike sitting outside, the trampoline they loved, the empty beds, the too quiet mornings (because they aren't up early), the chickens he loved to take care of, the Nabi that she loved to listen to songs on, the places we went together.

Its hard to go to the store without remembering...."Store Mommy? Me you? Please store?" The weekend after they left, I had to go Walmart, which reminded me of both of them. And guess who waited on me? The man who waited on us on V's birthday (whom she asked me to make sure he knew it was her special day).

Oh and the STUFF they left behind that keeps showing up in the wash ;) His jeans. Her pajamas. Gets me every time! I won't lie--its tough! Its been harder than I thought it would be. But it all just shows how integrated they were into our lives! And what a blessing it was that God gave us this love for each other.

At first I thought of all the things I wish I'd done with them while they were here. I wished I'd watched The Jesus Movie in Russian with them early on (we didn't get to finish it). We ran out of time to go bowling or go to my parent's home. I wish I'd spent more time alone with each.

But then again, wow!  We did alot-- between Christmas and two birthdays, the pool, church, the store, park, rollerskating... It all went so fast .

What I really miss and desire the most is just to have them here, eating at our table and sitting on our couches for family time, singing with and playing games with them, hugging them goodnight and saying "I love you."  Just being a part of our family. So that is what we are working on with adoption.

 We are just tackling each new step in the process..... One application and document after another, filling out our past addresses since birth for the 6th time, making doctor appointments, finding birth certificates, making copies, going to the Notary, going again, going to the Post Office, going again, getting passports renewed. Each is getting us one step further.

We are so thankful we have had some communication with our boy... but its not much and we've yet to talk to our girl.  :(   Seeing their photos from the facilitator who visited them, hearing they are doing well but missing us and that they are excited about the adoption....these things keep me going! So does hearing an encouraging word from another adoptive parent, or a comment from a friend who is excited or praying for us. It will be worth it and it will come. Even when it feels never ending. Even when there seems to be one expense after another.  God's got this. 

The hardest part of all this is knowing how LONG adoption takes.  How do you explain that to children who have waited so long? Especially if Google translate changes your words and often doesn't come out right?  We are trying to do everything we can to go as quickly as possible. Its all we can do for them right now besides the most important thing, which is to pray.

If you'd like to know some ways to pray for us, please join us in praying that:

* the adoption process will go smoothly and quickly for their sakes. We are praying also for whats best for their siblings (who we are not sure yet if they can be adopted, or if the older brother wants to be adopted--we very well may be his last change since on his birthday he will no longer be able)  It will take a miracle to get there in time! 

* they could be here for the Summer! We'd planned to host them again but are praying that perhaps our adoption could enable them to be home for good for the summer.

* God will continue to provide the funds needed  and open doors for adoption

* God will protect them and keep their hearts full of love and hope during this waiting process.

* our family to balance adoption with every day life & to trust & rest in God!
* for peace in their country

By the way, if you haven't seen this already my husband set up a page where folks can donate. Thank you to all who have already donated....we are so encouraged!

Here is the sponsor page:
https://www.youcaring.com/johnandtraciadamson-1084800

We WILL be starting fundraisers soon... I hope, once the craziness of Homestudy forms/visits, doctor appointments  and everything else settles down a bit.
If you have ideas, or things you have done in the past, please message us! 

Please feel free to share this...thank you!! :)

Blessings,

Traci

A journey begins....

For years my daughter Naomi has sent me or shown me pictures…. little children with Down Syndrome, or other disabilities……Babies who are unwanted, discarded, and waiting in orphanages. My heart broke for them. After adopting 3 with special needs overseas, our family has had a deep burden for these children who are unvalued by some, but invaluable in God’s sight. After being at orphanages and seeing it for ourselves, as well as seeing our children thrive with love, we wanted to help.

So, we found ways. We raised money for other families who were adopting. Our kids did yard sales, crocheted, made bracelets and shared. We advocated and did auctions, shared posts, and prayed for orphans…but have wanted to do more. The need is so great!

More recently, Naomi has shared more about older children…. boys and girls that are aging out soon and will not have a family.  One day she sent me a message about 2 children who needed a host family. Siblings…a 14-year-old boy and his 10-year-old sister. Their fees would be reduced but they needed someone right away.  We had thought of hosting before but honestly, never REALLY considered it, thinking the fee was just too high and life too busy.  I don’t know what caused me to think about it and share it with my husband, except that God led me to do it.  I looked into it, got information, talked and prayed.  We had no doubt that it would be a good experience to serve the Lord as a family. 

My first thought was—this is a MAJOR decision!!!...because I know my family, that they would want to adopt them. We talked about it with the kids and made it clear that this didn’t mean we would adopt them…. would they be okay if all we did was host? “Yes! Yes! “We decided that we would leave that to God, and to not make this decision too complicated.  These children had been preparing to come to America for 4 weeks for Christmas, had gotten tickets, passports/clearance and suddenly NEEDED a family.

Could we open our home to share it with a brother and sister with no family of their own…for 4 weeks? Could we show them the love of Jesus and what a family is? (those were the objectives of the hosting program).

We knew we could! We knew we aren’t perfect (that scared me) –we are noisy, active & our home may not be spotless, but we have hearts full of love and plenty of room by most of the world’s standards. We are a family and we have the most powerful gift of all to share…the love of Jesus, which is why we would ever consider doing such a thing. Its what first led us to adopt.

Could we afford it? My husband looked at me with that “look” and said he did get extra pay at his last work trip. I thought, “we don’t REALLY need to get new couches this Christmas (the ones we’d never gotten after moving 7 years ago) … what are couches anyway? We are talking children!

We made sure everyone in the family was okay with it…. they were! :)

So, we decided to do it if God opened the door.  We applied, got a home visit, filled out paperwork, got background clearance, and sent in money…. Yes, a month before Christmas!  We shared what we were doing with our church, family and friends who helped us with clothing and other needs since they brought next to nothing.  We knew that it would be hard in some ways…. with them speaking a different language, dealing with possible behaviors, having to set rules, get along, share…. But we were willing! We knew in our hearts that this would be the best Christmas and that somehow the presents couldn’t match 2 precious lives that we could pour into and possibly impact for eternity. 

Only 3 days after they came, my dear, very reasonable husband told me with tears in his eyes: “I don’t know how I’ll be able to send them back!” I don’t know how but God completely knit these two from across the ocean who speak a different language into our hearts and fit them perfectly into our family, but He did.   There were challenges, and moments along the way of panic and doubt, of course, but we kept reminding ourselves about where they came from, and how they had no family, no mommy and daddy to teach them and love them, and possibly no understanding of a God who loved them. And we saw God work in their lives and in our childrens’ lives while they were here in wonderful way (more about that another time.)

To be honest, I’m utterly amazed by these kids…..that they could travel across the world to live with strangers who speak a different language. That they could accept and give love- not superficially but truly. That they could learn to trust us and open up to us and that they could have such joy.

And I can’t get over how much we love them. I didn’t expect it…. I mean, sure I thought my kids would want to adopt (they want to adopt every precious) & that we would love and care for them, but I didn’t expect to feel and know that they were our children. Maybe not in name right now but in our hearts, and we’d be forever changed.

So yes, if you’ve been wondering secretly…. YES, WE ARE ADOPTING!!!! 

The days counting down for them to go were tough…telling them they’d be going back, helping them pack their clothes and gifts (letting them know their things may become communal or taken from them), and spending as much time as we could enjoying them. We were told that kids often withdraw before they leave, as their way to protect themselves & survive. I’m so glad ours didn’t…. our last times together at the airport, eating and playing games, was precious. Nothing prepared us though for the raw awful heartache and sorrow that came when they left. We cried like babies, they cried, and I felt like a piece of my heart was walking away from us.  Still do.

We felt totally helpless…. they were going back to the orphanage across the sea where we could not help them AT ALL, & we only know a little of all they deal with.  Sure, we packed them dinner and snacks, sent lots of clothes, personal supplies, gifts, a Bible…. but would anyone give her the antibiotic she needed when she left? Who would remind them to brush their teeth, tuck them in, play with them, hug them, & love them there? We didn’t know if or when we’d hear from them or see them again.  But they knew that we loved them and would do everything we could to bring them back.

For those wondering, our children were on board way before us…. because they more easily see through eyes of faith.  They aren’t blind to what is involved—they’ve lived it already having adopted twice. But to them, there’s no question what so ever.   Each night the last week when I'd tuck in my youngest,  he’d ask, “how many days until they have to go?” and he’d look sad and say, “I wish they didn’t have to go.” I told him that if we adopted them, Mommy and Daddy would have to travel far away to get them and it can be a long time. That would be hard, huh?”  He smiled sadly and cutely and said, “yea, but it will be worth it.” I've never seen him cry so much after they left.

SO, now the journey begins…. now we get busy, and we ask you to pray with us that God will move mountains to bring our kids home where they belong. We’ve done this before and know it is not easy. Honestly, I never thought we would do this again.  Some liken the adoption process to a “labor” …it’s long and intense but worth it.  And it can’t be done alone.   If you are wondering how we can afford it…. we cannot! But we step out in faith that what God has begun, He will complete.  He is faithful and able to bring these precious children home. We would be honored if you would come along side us and join us in this journey. 

"And God is able to abound in you, so that in all things at all times, having everything you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8

Blessings,

Traci, for the Adamson family

**Since we've started the adoption, I've not included pictures (sorry! I love them too) on this public blog BUT I'll be making a private FB group and may put this blog to private (or start a new one) so please let me know if you'd like to be added to those where I can share pictures :) **